


Fancy Meeting You Here

by dracusfyre



Series: Tony Stark Bingo Challenge [25]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: BAMF Tony Stark, Gen, M/M, POV Eddie Brock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2019-10-25 22:24:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17733776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracusfyre/pseuds/dracusfyre
Summary: Eddie sees an unexpected person from his past and decides to give him a hand, which turns into dinner, which turns into an unexpected reunion of a different kind.





	1. Square S3- Holding Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Note that the first chapter of this was originally published under the title "Square S3- Holding Hands" and has since been updated with new material, so I changed the title.

               **_Eddie._**

               “Hmm?” Eddie said absently, trying to walk and read the newspaper without spilling his coffee.  A third hand would be useful but he and Venom had agreed that generally speaking they should avoid terrifying the public without good reason.

               **_Eddie_ ,** Venom said again, this time more urgently. **_What is that?_**

               Eddie’s head was turned up and his gaze focused on something high in the sky over San Francisco. Frowning, Eddie’s vision sharpened and focused far beyond what a normal human could have achieved, and then both the coffee and the newspaper hit the pavement.

               “Holy shit, that’s Iron Man!” Eddie said, sprinting towards the bay where Iron Man was fighting what looked like a – a giant dragon?

               **_Who is Iron Man?_** Venom asked, even as he helped Eddie put on speed and vault over cars that barely had a chance to honk before they were gone again.  Eddie just let him flip through his memories of Iron Man and Tony Stark; he could tell that Venom was lingering with curiosity over the memories of his one night stand with Tony when he was still working with the Daily Planet out of New York City.  At the time, it was kind of Tony’s _thing_ to sleep with the reporters who interviewed him, so even though they had made some damned good memories, memories that Eddie had definitely bookmarked in his spank bank, he had known better than to try to make anything more of that night than a good time.

               High in the sky the dragon curled in on itself in a way that seemed impossible and caught Tony in its teeth, shaking him like a dog with a rat before Tony blasted it in the face and it released him with a shriek of rage.  Tony tried to get close enough to get it in the face again but as he dodged its teeth a lucky swipe of its claws sent him tumbling out of the sky.

               “Venom!”  But Venom sensed Eddie’s urgency before the words could even leave his mouth and Eddie gave up control as he swept over their body with a rush.  Tony seemed to be tumbling slowly but also too quickly out of the sky, his repulsors firing irregularly and not enough to stabilize him; Venom extended his talons and then they were climbing up a building, leaping from roof to roof in a bid to catch Tony before he hit the ground.  At about the fortieth floor of the Transamerica Pyramid they caught Tony by the wrist with an outflung tentacle, pulling him in close and stopping his fall.  “ ** _Gotcha,_** ” they said with satisfaction.

               They were debating what to do with him now – put him down on the ground where there was a crowd of people gathering or carry him up to the roof where the dragon was heading their way – when the face to the suit popped open and Tony was looking at them with raised eyebrows.

               “Whoa,” he said. “Hi. I’m Iron Man, thanks for the uh, helping hand.”

               **_“We are Venom_** ,” they said, and then with a push from Eddie Venom pulled away from his face.  “But you might remember me as Eddie.”

               Tony’s eyes narrow and then widened. “Eddie Brock! Daily Planet. We did an interview in what, 2004? You, um, seem a little different than I remember,” he said, eyeing the sharp, needle like teeth framing Eddie's face.

               “Yeah, September 2004.  Some stuff has happened since then,” Eddie said.  "But it's a bit of a long story." Tony fired up his repulsors and they let him go when it was clear that his suit was back under control, all of the teeth mark dents notwithstanding.

               “I think I'd like to hear that story,” Tony said.  “Because I remember the article being great but the sex was _fantastic._   You know I tried to look you up again but they said you’d transferred to San Francisco. What are you doing-” Tony looked around and seemed to realize for the first time where he was. “Oh, we’re in San Francisco.  The dragon teleports,” he explained apologetically.   "A few minutes ago we were in Jakarta, I think." As if it could tell they were talking about it, high above them the dragon shrieked and started diving towards them. “Let me take care of this, and then let’s do lunch and catch up!” Tony said, closing his faceplate.

               “How about I help you with this, then we do dinner?” Eddie shouted over the sound of the dragon's roar as Venom crawled over his face again, clearly eager to test themselves against such an enormous foe.

               “Sure,” Tony said, voice slightly tinny from the suit’s speakers. “Hop on.” He wavered a little in the air as Venom crawled onto his back, clearly not expecting them to weigh so much, then they were racing towards the diving dragon in a high stakes game of chicken.

               **_We’re keeping him,_** Venom said with a possessive glee, then there was no time for conversation as they flung themselves at the dragon’s face.


	2. Square R4 - Date Night

               After the giant huge dragon had fucked off back to where it had come from – “Muspelheim,” Tony had said, as if that explained everything – Eddie directed Tony to land them in a park that was big enough that they might not attract a crowd.

 ** _I recognize him from your fantasies now,_** Venom said unhelpfully as Tony’s armor retreated from his skin, crawling over his body before vanishing in a glowing triangle device on his chest.  Not to be outdone, Venom did the same, peeling away from Eddie’s face and leaving him to smile sheepishly at Tony as Venom disappeared dramatically into Eddie’s skin.

               “He’s kind of a showoff,” Eddie said apologetically when Tony raised his eyebrows and quirked his lips. God, he looked the same but somehow even better than the last time they'd met, the gray in his goatee and at his temples making him look distinguished. “You want to get something to eat?" he offered, clearing his throat. "Our favorite diner is not too far from here.”

               “Sure, lead the way,” Tony said. Eddie felt a little self-conscious taking Tony to the hole in the wall diner, since the last place they’d eaten lunch had required a reservation months in advance and had marble floors, but the food here was great and cheap and they never gave him any guff about talking to himself all the time. When they got inside, though, Tony's only comment was "Smells good in here." 

               “So,” Tony said after they ordered and the waiter took their menus away, “Ready to tell me that long story?”

               “Right.” Eddie scratched his jaw as he thought of the best way to explain. The good thing was that Tony had probably seen enough crazy shit that Eddie didn't have to get vague about all the weird bits, which was such a relief. “Did you hear about that Life Foundation rocket that blew up last year?”

               “Yeah, the one with Carlton Drake on board? Of course.”

               “One of his earlier missions had found alien life forms on this meteor in outer space. My buddy Venom was – I mean, is – one of those life forms. We blew up that rocket because one of the other aliens and Drake were going to go get a whole army of them – symbiotes called Klyntaar – to take over the planet.”

               During the whole explanation, Tony’s eyebrows had been climbing higher and higher. When Eddie was done, he sat back in the cheap vinyl upholstery of the booth and studied Eddie with interest. “Symbiote, huh? So how does that work?”

               “No questions about the aborted invasion?” Eddie asked wryly. "Just Venom?"

               “Well a foiled alien invasion sounds like just another Tuesday,” Tony said with a shrug. “I mean, good work, welcome to the ‘Saved the World’ club, feel free to submit an application to become an honorary Avenger. Maybe we should franchise to the West Coast. I'll look into it later, but the symbiote part is the bit I’d never heard before.”

               “Well, his species can’t survive in Earth’s atmosphere, so he needs a host.” Eddie pointed at himself with his thumb. “And in exchange, he keeps me healthy and together we are basically, you know…” Eddie cleared his throat, feeling the tips of his ears get hot as he said this in front of _Iron Man,_ of all people. “A superhero.” He could feel Venom laughing at him and sent back stern warnings not to embarrass him in front of Tony. He would never, ever, admit it, but Tony was a huge inspiration for him, the way he would get knocked down and get back up again stronger than before. 

               “Huh.” Tony’s gaze sharpened and Eddie could tell that his curiosity had been officially piqued. “Can you two communicate with each other?”

               Eddie huffed out a laugh. “Oh, yeah. Too much, really. Wish I could turn it off sometimes.”

               **_Eddie! Rude!_**

“It’s just that it would be nice to have privacy sometimes,” Eddie said under his breath, and smiled apologetically when Tony quirked an eyebrow. “Sorry. Venom likes to editorialize, especially when I’m already in the middle of a conversation.”

               **_It’s not my fault he can’t hear me._ You’re _the one that said I shouldn’t come out in public unless it’s an emergency._**

                Eddie ignored him. “How about you? Anything new?”

               “Well, I was pretty excited about my new nanotech suit – I’ve been working with an amazing scientist from Wakanda who has been doing some really exciting things with vibranium – but to be honest, your symbiote seems way more interesting.” Tony leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “Would it be weird to ask if I can touch it? Him?”

               Eddie felt the briefest pang of possessive jealousy when Venom agreed, but he only hesitated for a moment before he put his hand on top of Tony’s and felt Venom surge up through his skin.

               Tony’s eyes widened as inky black tendrils oozed from Eddie’s hand, waving in the air like tiny tentacles. "Interesting," Tony said, moving his face closer to them. "Is he myxomycetic?"

               "I have no idea what that means." They both watched as the tendrils reached for Tony's hand, then Eddie felt the weirdest sensation of looking at himself in stereo.  Thoughts spilled into his head that definitely weren’t his own, going too fast for him to process, and then Venom cut the connection.

               “Wow,” Tony said, blinking rapidly as Venom vanished back into Eddie's skin. “That was…something else."

               “I’ve never felt that before either,” Eddie admitted. “I didn’t know he could do two people at the same time. I mean – he can go from person to person but – oh goddammit,” he said, banging his head on the table as Tony laughed. 

                ** _I reproduce asexually and I have better game than you,_** Venom said reproachfully.  _ **You're blowing this.**_

               "I don't even want to know where you learned that word," Eddie muttered. "And I'm not-" Eddie started to say  _blowing anything_ but stopped himself just in time.

               “I’d love to know more, but perhaps this isn’t really the place,” Tony said. He squeezed Eddie's hand before letting go. “Are you still in journalism?” he asked, changing the subject.

               Eddie blinked at his hand for a moment, surprised, before he latched onto the new topic gratefully, telling Tony about the whole fiasco with Drake that lost him his job and his fledgling attempts to build it back up again as they waited for their food to arrive. Tony didn’t blink when he saw the amount of food Eddie had ordered, but he did watch with bemusement as Eddie tried to stab a piece of fruit with his fork and kept failing when Venom moved his hand at the last second. “Sorry,” Eddie said, knowing he must look like a lunatic. “Vee and I are having an ongoing fight about me eating fruits and vegetables.  I want to eat them because they keep me healthy, but he says that _he_ can keep me healthy so what’s the point.”  After a moment he dropped the fork and popped the grape into his mouth.  “Stubborn bastard,” he said.

               “But doesn’t it take some of Venom’s energy to compensate for what you aren’t getting from your diet?” Tony pointed out.  “So why make extra work for himself?”

               Venom was silent for a long time and Eddie tried not to gloat. **_I don’t like the taste,_** Venom finally grumbled, but when Eddie went for the bowl of mixed fruits again this time Venom didn’t stop him.  Eddie speared a piece of cantaloupe even though he hated melons because right now it tasted like victory.

               The waiter brought Eddie’s customary chocolate fudge cake as he took the dishes away and Eddie nudged it to the center of the table to offer Tony some. “It’s Venom’s favorite, but I’m sure he will share.”

               “So he’s got a sweet tooth?” Tony said as he took a bite. “Guess that makes as much sense as him hating fruit.”

               “Yeah, he likes raw meat and chocolate,” Eddie said, taking a bite of his own and feeling Venom oozing with happiness. "I'm not sure what the connection is, but it makes him go all," Eddie gestured at his temple with his fork, "fizzy."

                ** _Don't forget_** ** _heads,_** Venom said, nudging Eddie to eat faster when he saw Tony take another bite.

               “I'm not- hey, we can order another one, you greedy dick,” Eddie said, scowling when Venom reached a tendril out of his sleeve and pulled the plate away from Tony. "Stop that."

               “It’s fine,” Tony said with a laugh, setting his fork down and waving down the waiter for the bill. “It’s way too rich for me, I don’t know how you can eat the whole thing.”

               “Wait, you shouldn’t be paying,” Eddie protested, trying to take the check out of Tony’s hands when the waiter set it on the table. “I mean, my part of the bill has gotta be at least twice as much as yours, let me at least pay for my food.”

               “Well then let’s make a deal,” Tony said, evading his hands and digging out his wallet at the same time. “How about I’ll get this, and you get breakfast?”

               "Breakfast?" Eddie's heart skipped a beat and then started pounding. “Oh,” he managed, smiling as he started feeling fizzy himself. “Uh…okay. Yeah, that – that sounds great.”

               **_We just ate,_** Venom pointed out ** _._** Somehow the rest of the cake had disappeared and Eddie was sure he didn’t want to know how. ** _He wants to eat again already?_**

               “No, it’s not that,” Eddie said. “He wants to come home with us.”


End file.
